My phone vibrated in my back pocket as I replied. Pulling it out, I saw Knox’s name flash across the screen.
All information on Vale has been sent.
Perfect.
I looked up at them and quickly nodded before I headed for the door. “I’ll have the staff handle everything else. Just make sure to be back around five.”
Kyrin threw me a half-assed salute while Greyson grabbed the bottle he was drinking and wedged it under his arm. I was so anxious to open the file, I didn’t even care that it was one from the top shelf.I just wanted them out.As the door closed behind them, I grabbed a nearby chair and sank into it, opening the message. I let the silence fall around me, finding solace in the quiet this time. For once, I was thankful there were no members here, or anyone else in general. Like this, I had no distractions, and that was exactly what I wanted. I watched my finger hover over the attachment.
Ember Vale.
There were four pages, each one outlining a different part of her life. The first included documents her name was legally attached to—a lease agreement, a petty theft when she was sixteen, and several online resumes. There was no title listed anywhere, so it was clear she wasn’t married and had no corporate designation. Everything I read fit her personality completely, exactly what I’d assumed would be in here. I could tell by just reading over the first few things that Ember was someone who existed on her own, without anything else or any type of context. I laughed under my breath when I realized her name wasn’t even connected to a vehicle registration. I blinked, like it had to be a joke, then laughed again when I realized it wasn’t.
True to Knox’s personality, he’d included a note next to thissection.“Who doesn’t own a car… or a bike for that matter?”
In terms of her family, things were pretty blank. Neither parent was listed anywhere, but a grandparent showed as a previous address.
Interesting.
Moving to the next page, I came across her occupations. Most evenings, she worked at a local bookstore but was also under contract with a freelance photography company. The shifts there were sporadic, making me think she was able to make her own schedule. Digging a little further, it seemed that even with both jobs combined, her paycheck stubs proved to bejust enoughto pay her bills. What money she did have left was usually spent on books, chai’s, and a few pharmaceuticals that were delivered monthly—anxiety medicine and birth control.
I read the second prescription again and felt all the amusement drain from my face. As proud as I was of her for being prepared, that also meant that someone out there might already believe they had some sort of claim on her. The realization settled wrong in my mind, awakening something territorial. If someone out there actually thoughtshe wastheirsto take,theirsto touch—that would be an easy problem to eradicate. Whatever hands had reached for her before had been operating under a time limit, one that had recently expired.
Finding no mention of a boyfriend anywhere in the file or in Knox’s notes, I decided to sort those details out later. Pushing those thoughts aside, I moved on to the rest of the information. The property she lived at was tied to Kinsley Monstat, but theyseemed to have no familial relation. Interestingly, Kinsley’s last name had been flagged as part of a well-known family and was attached to a string of multi-million-dollar companies. In other words, Ember’s roommate had money, a lot of it.
So why was it that Ember didn’t even have a savings account?
On paper, it seemed like her personality bled into her everyday decisions. There was no retirement or savings. No insurance. She lived off impulse and blind optimism. Even her bank statement was proof of this, the last few months full of small purchases that weren’t needed. Ember’s a perfect example of someone who lived in the moment and left her future up to chance. The money in her account was usually gone before her next payday, and to make matters worse, there was no one listed as her emergency contact. That alone told me everything I needed to know.
I closed the file and exhaled slowly through my nose. Everything about this girl was chaotic, even the reply I’d received from the email I had sent.
If I can make it work, I’ll be there. If not, I’ll send another photographer in my place.
In her place?As if she wasn’t the whole entire goal.
I stood, smoothing my jacket and moving toward my office. If it wasn’t Ember Vale who walked through those doors tonight—if she thought just anyone could stand where she belonged… there would be hell to pay, and I would enjoy every second of it.
8
Ember
My life had turned into a game of keeping myself busy so that I wouldn't think about Silas Solstice. Anytime I took my camera out, anytime I checked my email—his stupid mask would pop into my mind.
Any sane person would have replied to his ridiculous email and moved on, but I didn't. Over time, I realized it was the opposite for me. The irritability I felt at the thought of him was like poison, seeping into every part of me. I racked my brain to understand why I couldn't shake him, but I eventually gave up—only after ordering the dress I'd wearifI ended up going to the masquerade tonight.
That was a lie, and I knew it.
There was no "ended up".
I would be going.
As I rounded the corner toward my house, a voice pulled me from my head. “Hey, doll.”
I froze for a moment, before letting my entire face split into a grin. “Bodhi?!”
I took another step toward him as he pushed away from the wall, and I could immediately tell most of his practices had beenoutside. Every inch of him had darkened in just the short time he’d been gone, including his usual backwards cap and faded jersey. The circle of teammates around him opened as he moved toward me.
“Bodhi!” I squealed louder. Before my brain caught up, I bolted down the remainder of the sidewalk and launched myself at him.
